Wednesday

Nov 21, 2018 at 9:46 AMNov 21, 2018 at 11:00 AM

Cinderella was introduced to the world in the 1697 Charles Perrault fairy tale “Cendrillon,” and she hasn’t gotten much rest since.

That’s not only because she was forced into a life of servitude by her cruel stepmother and conniving stepsisters before meeting her Prince, being rescued by her Fairy Godmother, and sliding her foot into the fabled glass slipper.

It’s also because her enduring popularity has made her the subject of countless live-action and animated feature films from the silent era to the present, not to mention ballets, operas and multiple television projects.

The three TV versions – 1957’s starring Julie Andrews, 1965’s with Lesley Ann Warren and 1997’s starring Brandy Norwood – all featured music by Richard Rodgers and book and lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein II.

Billed as “Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella,” and with a new book by Douglas Carter Beane updating Hammerstein’s original and four additional songs from the R&H catalog, a Broadway stage version premiered on March 3, 2013, at New York’s Broadway Theatre. The production won William Ivey Long his sixth Tony Award for Best Costume Design of a Musical.

The show’s first national tour played the Boston Opera House in the fall of 2015. Its current North American tour – directed by Gina Rattan and choreographed by Lee Wilkins – will play a holiday engagement at Boston’s Emerson Colonial Theatre beginning Dec. 12.

No telling of the tale of Cinderella would be complete without her evil stepsisters, of course, and this time around Utah native Joanna Johnson will take on the role of Charlotte, whose unfounded self-confidence infuses the act-two musical opener, “Stepsister’s Lament.”

By telephone recently from an Elmira, New York, tour stop, the 32-year-old Johnson talked about what it’s like to play a mythical mean girl and more.

Q: When did you first become aware of “Cinderella”?

A: My first memory of “Cinderella” is from about 1998. I was in junior high school, and my sister played the wicked stepmother in her high school production of the show. Around the same time, I saw the TV movie version with Brandy Norwood as Cinderella, Whitney Houston as her fairy godmother and Bernadette Peters as the wicked stepmother. By then, I was in love with the story and the beautiful, beautiful music by Rodgers and Hammerstein.

Q: What’s your take on Charlotte?

A: I love Charlotte. I don’t like to think of her as mean, because I like to think of myself as a nice person. When it comes to characters like Charlotte, you have to look at their motivations. Charlotte just wants to please her mother, so if that requires her to look down at her stepsister then that’s what she does.

Q: What’s it like to play a villain?

A: Personally, I think if you’re being treated fairly and well, but see others who are not, you need to speak up. That’s not a major plot point for our show, but that’s how I feel. Charlotte speaks up for Ella at the very end, which is a very nice moment for me. I think a reformed villain is a nice character path to play. I’ve also played full-out villains who never get to redeem themselves and that can be fun, too. And one of these days, I’d love to play Ursula in “The Little Mermaid.” She’s definitely a full-on, unabashed meanie.

Q: Do you have a favorite song from “Cinderella”?

A: There are so many to choose from, so I have more than one. There’s “Stepsisters’ Lament,” of course, because the selfish Joanna loves being the center of attention. The song also lets me check in with the female ensemble. Two other numbers that I also especially love are “When You’re Driving Through the Moonlight” and “A Lovely Night.” They’re the only numbers that bring Ella and her family together and, for a few minutes, allow them to function properly. The two songs also include some great four-part harmony for Ella, her stepsisters, and her stepmother, which I get to do with three tremendously talented performers.

Q: You started your second year on tour earlier this month. Does that mean you enjoy being on the road?

A: Touring is incredible. Going into this show, I thought I would probably like being on tour. As it turns out, I love it. I’ve been to 47 different states and four Canadian provinces so far. I really enjoy bringing this story of kindness and love to so many different audiences. This will be my first time in Boston. I’m a bit of a history buff, especially when it comes to the Revolutionary War, so I’m really looking to being there and seeing everything I can in my free time.

Q: To what would you attribute the lasting appeal of “Cinderella”?

A: On the surface of it, people love the magic – the pumpkin, the glass slipper, the masked ball, and more – the romance, and the music. For me, it’s about all that plus the fact that being a good person, whatever your circumstances, is its own reward. Not everyone gets a prince, of course, but being kind is still its own reward.